So How Much Time Does Piper Have Left in Prison Anyway?

At this point, dedicated Orange Is the New Black fans have seen at least 52 episodes of Netflix’s dramedy about prison life. That’s a little over two days that’s been invested in watching the life and lies of Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), and with the release of Season 5 this week, many fans are going to add an additional 13 hours to that number this weekend. It’s hard to think about how much Regina Spektor-endorsed time you’ve spent on this one series, but there’s another time-related question surrounding OITNB that’s even more insane: Exactly how long has Piper Chapman been in prison?

Though recent seasons of the show have (rightfully) demoted Piper to an annoying side note in the show’s tapestry of rich characters, don’t forget the former used underwear dictator is our gateway into the series. When she leaves, there’s a good chance we will too. Here’s your breakdown of how five years of Orange Is the New Black has translated to prison time.

Jojo Whilden/Netflix

How much time does Piper have on her prison sentence?

The series started with the wide-eyed and aggressively upper-middle class Piper entering Litchfield to serve time for money laundering. Early on, we saw Piper smuggle $50,000 for her drug dealing girlfriend, Alex (Laura Prepon). Later, in an attempt to reduce her own sentence, Alex sold out Piper, securing Litchfield’s Taylor Swift a 15-month prison sentence.

Has any time been added to Piper’s sentence?

We don’t know for sure, but it’s certainly possible. When she was called to testify at Kubra’s trial, she committed perjury, again at the request of Alex. Her crime was quickly exposed, so it’s possible that time was added to her sentence, though the series hasn’t told us either way.

Also, Piper can be connected to the prison guard murder Alex committed and Season 5’s prison riot. She plays a minor roles in each of these incidents, but her involvement could add a few more weeks or months to her time.

Photo: Netflix/Everett Collection

How much time does Piper have left in prison?

At the beginning of Season 5, Piper has about two to three months left on her sentence. Let’s break it down:

Season 1: September 2013 – December 24, 2013

Piper entered Litchfield on a Wednesday in September of 2013. Whether that Wednesday occurred at the beginning of the month or toward the end remains unclear. However, we do know from the Christmas pageant that Season 1 lasted until December 24.

Season 2: January 2014 – April 2014

Vee Parker (Lorraine Toussaint) really didn’t last long in Litchfield. The troublesome and manipulative inmate was transferred in January of 2014, but she was run over sometime in April.

Season 3: May 2014 – August 2014

This was the last four-month season we’ve seen on Orange Is the New Black so far. This season characterized by childbirth, sci-fi erotic, and the sexiest inmate around, Ruby Rose’s Stella started with Mother’s Day and ended with Judy King’s (Blair Brown) surrender sometime in August.

Season 4: August 2014 – September 2014

Things cranked into overdrive in Season 4, a creative decision that likely has to do with Piper’s dwindling prison sentence and the surplus of extra inmates and guards. However, that’s not to say it wasn’t action packed. The season ended with Poussey’s (Samira Wiley) death in September.

Season 5: September 2014

And now we’re at the three day length of time that holds the chaos that is Season 5. Assuming that Chapman hasn’t done anything to hurt herself, she should be released in December of 2014. However, Piper being Pier and this being OITNB, it’s very doubtful that’s going to happen. If you want a full list of how much time all of the major inmates have left, Vulture put together a pretty comprehensive list.